Downtown Lights
by chanceof-rain
Summary: They say that sometimes you can fall in love before your heart even realizes it. Cody Martin is a successful 25 year old who can't help but feel lonely in New York. Then someone comes back into his life unexpectedly. Cody&Maddie.
1. Introduction

**A/N: **Hello! This is my first Suite Life fanfiction for I usually write fanfictions for Life with Derek. I'm not exactly sure what inspired me to write this, but I hope you enjoy it.

This was originally a one shot, but I changed my mind into making the story more detailed, etc.

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody._

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**Introduction**  
They say that sometimes you can fall in love before your heart even realizes it.

But what they don't tell you is that when that happens, you tend to fall for someone you're not supposed to. Someone who is in love with someone else, loved by another, not interested or extremely too caught up in the world to notice you. No, it doesn't matter what the person looks like in the morning, how they act when they're dancing in front of their mirror, or whether or not they do their own laundry. What matters is that you fell for them, despite the fact that you didn't mean to.

There's a difference between an obvious attraction and hidden affection. Everyone around you notices an obvious attraction. This includes those who take part in this attraction. That is why it is _obvious_. Those short boyfriend-girlfriend flings in middle school and high school are obvious to all of those around the couple. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out when someone has fallen in love with someone and knows that they have. When you fall in love, it's said to be one of the greatest feelings of all times. They say its like you're floating on clouds and nothing bad can get you. The simplicity of it all is wonderful and it's something that you can't go through life without feeling at least once. But they also say that when you go through it, you can't help but express what you're feeling. That's why it's so obvious. That's why it's not nearly as complicated as hidden affection.

We've already established that hidden affection isn't as simple or as apparent as an obvious attraction because no one realizes it, including those who have fallen into this feeling of hidden affection. What happens is that you know that you care for the person, but it doesn't hit you until later to know that you love them until something odd occurs. They say it's different every single time. A death, heartbreak, reunion. It changes for every situation.

For Cody Martin, his situation was absolutely bizarre. These thoughts of love, attraction and affection were processed through his mind about nearly a million miles per hour as the sun began rising to start off the day. He didn't mean to fall in love. He swore that he didn't mean to.

This bachelor of a businessman was only twenty-five years old with a successful path ahead of him. He was as close to wealthy as one could get and his passion for his career had never been more on fire. Coming home to his lonely flat in New York every night, he set up his table for one and forced himself not to wish for someone to share his dinner with. Life was simple and easier than he could ever dream of.

The rest of his family still lived in the Tipton Hotel in Boston, considering that his mother was still one of the top singers the Tipton had ever heard. Irreplaceable, his mother's career allowed her to continue living in her old suite. His twin brother, Zack, however, stayed with his mother to make sure that she didn't do anything crazy. Plus, when he went to college, they didn't have enough money to pay for his dorm, but that wasn't a problem because, unlike Cody, Zack's college wasn't far from the Tipton. London had left the Tipton to study fashion design overseas with Todd while he continued to study dentistry. Maddie had also left for Chicago to go to college three years before Zack and Cody graduated. When Cody had left for college in New York, he fell in love with the atmosphere. He couldn't make time to visit his family for the holidays, for he was always busy with something to do. Letters, phone calls and e-mails were always circulated, but he hadn't gone back to the hotel in years. There wasn't anything wrong about the Tipton; he just seemed to enjoy New York. Yet, while Cody could fall in love with the crowded city, he had always been upset that he never found a person to fall in love with. At least the loveliness of the downtown lights never ceased to satisfy his loneliness.

Not until _she_ was there, competing with the downtown lights.

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There you go. Let me know what you think.

- Lina.


	2. Not Too Late For Coffee

**A/N: **Here's the next chapter! I hope you enjoy it.

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Suite Life of Zack and Cody._

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**Not Too Late For Coffee**

Cody Martin was on his way home from work, walking casually down the sidewalk under the dark sky. He never minded the walk back to his apartment during the night. In fact, he found it kind of enjoyable. It wasn't until he began feeling soft drops of water from above him, causing him to look up. Once he did, it seemed as if it were on cue as the raindrops began to fall harder. Cody quickened his pace a bit, but continued taking his time.

A young woman suddenly ran into him, causing a box of envelopes and stock paper she was holding to crash onto the sidewalk. The paper was meaningless to him, but he felt horrible as she cursed loudly, placing the soaked papers into the box and walked quickly away from him. He hadn't seen her face, but this woman was familiar to him, as if he met her in a past life or something of the sort. Something about her was bittersweet and yet, Cody couldn't place his finger on it. He had a feeling of who he thought it was and was unable to control his actions, as he turned around to follow her into a café.

She ordered a latte and sat at the corner of the room by herself when she received the drink. Nearly a split second after she set her cup down, a novel was whipped out of her bag. Unfortunately for him, the book covered nearly 75 percent of her face.

Once Cody found his way inside, he ordered a rich dark coffee and kept it black as he took a seat on the opposite side of the room, but still kept her in range of his sight. He was almost relieved that she had walked into the café for he needed something warm his body and had been ignoring his own body signals. His hands were numb and his nose had turned pink from the cold rain.

Once he glanced back up to find the woman, she was already walking over to him with a coffee cup in one hand, and the box of wet papers held in the other against her hip. Able to see her face, Cody recognized her at an instant.

"Maddie?" he asked in disbelief as the woman placed her stuff down and sat down opposite from him.

He could remember her figure a decade before she left. She had once been a lean, young girl with a childish smile always set on her face. She was much different now and he knew that change was inevitable. She was filled out in all of the right places and was no longer only a girl. Although, he noted that there was a new feeling in her eyes. Loneliness. He only knew because he saw it in his mirrors.

"I never thought I'd see you here," she said calmly, tucking her drenched hair behind her ears.

"I could say the same thing about you!" Cody replied, smiling at her, "You look amazing. How've you been?"

Maddie stared at her coffee after his compliment and looked back at him, "I've been alright. You?"

"Been better," he replied, but was still in shock that he was sitting with her after all those years, "It's been what, ten years?"

"You're the math genius," she responded with a slight smirk across her face.

That made him laugh as he nodded his head, "I thought you were still in Chicago.

(Flashback)

_'Five minutes until the departure of flight number A347 to Chicago, Illinois. Five minutes until the departure of flight number A347 to Chicago, Illinois.'_

"_I can't believe I'm already leaving for college," Maddie admitted, standing with her backpack and a nervous smile._

_London hugged her tightly and then stepped back, her eyes watering a bit as she gave her best friend a smile, "Call me when you get there, okay?"_

"_Of course, I will. Aw, you're going to miss me!" Maddie teased London and gave her another quick hug._

_Then Carey grabbed her into a big hug and kissed her on the top of her head, "Okay, sweetie. You better be safe over there. And watch out for creeps. If you ever need anything, you know where to find me."_

_Maddie laughed and nodded her head, "Thanks, Carey."_

"_I wish you the best of luck during your stay in Chicago," Mr. Moesby said professionally and was surprised when she gave him a hug as well._

_Zack and Cody hugged her at the same time and she smiled at them both, "I'll miss you guys."_

"_We'll miss you, too," Zack said as they both stepped out of the hug._

'_Last call for flight number A347 to Chicago, Illinois. Last call for flight number A347 to Chicago, Illinois.'_

"_So, this is it!" Maddie said and she walked quickly to the door, turning around to wave at them with tears in her eyes, "Goodbye!"_

(End Flashback)

"I got a job as an administrative assistant for this storage company after I graduated," she explained, pausing to take a sip of her coffee before continuing, "The company transferred me here about two months ago."

"And you never tried to find me? That hurts," he said, giving her a mock hurt expression.

Maddie quickly shook her head, "I didn't even know you were in New York! I thought you were still in Boston with the others."

"I went to college here and ended up staying," Cody said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Oh look at you, Cody. You're all grown up," she said at random, smiling at him.

For some reason, her smile had caught him off guard as he mumbled in return, "You too."

"How's Carey?" she asked, feeling the need to catch up on what had happened with the old Tipton crew.

"She's been doing great. She's still singing at the hotel since Moesby can't find a better singer."

"That's good. And Zack?" she asked, causing a memory to suddenly flash into Cody's mind.

(Flashback)

_Cody and Zack were sitting in their room in the suite after they had just waved off Maddie to Chicago. Zack was having a hard time coping with the fact that the only girl he thought he truly loved had gone off to college, nevertheless a completely different state._

"_I couldn't even convince her to stay," Zack said, staring wide-eyed at the wall across from him._

_Cody sat on his bed and looked at his brother, "What are you talking about?"_

"_Maddie. I asked her to stay. I told her that I – that we needed her in Boston more than that stupid college in Illinois did."_

"_Are you serious?"_

_Zack nodded his head, "Yeah. But she didn't even think about it. She told me immediately that it was something she needed to do."_

"_Because it IS something she needs to do!" Cody said, "We're graduating in three years, you should understand that she needed to go."_

"_But she didn't even think about it! She didn't even comprehend that I need her here. She didn't understand that I need her because I love her," Zack yelled as angry tears welled up in his eyes, "How come she didn't understand?"  
_

(End Flashback)

"Zack? Zack's been doing alright," Cody said, nodding his head. He could have told her that his brother mentioned her name every night for months after she left for college, but he spoke nothing of it.

"I'm glad," Maddie said awkwardly, sipping her coffee again.

They continued to talk for what seemed like ages until one of the workers went up to them and told them that the café closed at midnight.

"Well, I've got to go and see if I can dry up these papers," Maddie said, picking up the box.

Cody gave her an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry about that. I didn't see you walking towards me."

"No, no. It's my fault. I wasn't looking where I was going."

Cody nodded as they walked towards the exit and opened the door for her.

"Would you like to get together next Saturday?" he asked her and tried not to sound so pushy so he added, "You know, since we have ten years to catch up on."

Maddie smiled and pulled out a business card from the box, "I'd like that. Here's my number. The card's a bit wet, but it's still legible."

"Great," Cody said and gave her a quick hug, "I'll see you then. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Maddie smiled and began walking with her box.

Cody nodded his head and walked the opposite way as a weird feeling crept into him. It was funny because all he could think about on his way back home was Maddie.

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**A/N: **There you go! Please review! Hopefully the next chapter will get a little more interesting. ;) 

- Lina.


	3. New York Parallel

So, I wasn't sure if I was going to continue this ... But then I saw that people actually liked this story. I've been on a slight hiatus from writing fanfics since school is pretty hectic at the moment. Here's an update for you guys, though. :)

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Suite Life of Zack and Cody characters.

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Cody Martin sat lazily in his bed early on Saturday morning for the sunlight shining through his window woke him up. He forgot to close his blinds because he was admiring the lights the previous night.

They had ten years to catch up on. Ten long years. He idly wondered how two people could catch up with each other in ten years and spend a whole afternoon together telling each other stories. He didn't know what to tell her. He couldn't say that his brother was still madly in love with her because it wasn't his right to do so. Plus, he hadn't talked to his family in forever. He couldn't tell her anything about his love life the past few years because there was none. Well, he had to admit that occasionally he would date a couple of co-workers or co-worker's friends for the sole purpose of getting rid of that feeling of loneliness. But none of them ever took it away completely. It was only satisfying for a split second and then it disappeared.

---

Cody stood by the coffee shop around three o'clock in the afternoon in a pair of dark blue jeans, a tan shirt and a brown jacket. It was getting to be a bit chilly and he had absolutely no agenda planned for the two of them. He knew he should have been more prepared, but he didn't know if it was a date or just a casual 'lets hang out because we're just friend'-thing. He sighed and checked his watch before looking around. Once his eyes set sight on her he let out a relieved sigh.

Maddie looked beautiful as always. It was hard not to notice that she was beautiful when he grew up with his brother telling him that fact over and over again. It seemed pretty cheesy, but she still looked just as gorgeous. Her hair was up in a constricting hair tie and her blue jeans matched her black hoodie that fit her just right. Maddie smiled at him and waved, walking over to him and giving him a friendly hug. It was funny to him because he was taller than her now and she was only as tall as the halfway point in his neck.

"You're short," Cody pointed out in a very amused tone, knowing that it would break the ice even if it wasn't polite.

Maddie pushed him slightly, "No, you're just abnormally tall."

"Me? Abnormal?"

She nodded her head, stuffing her hands in her pockets, "Yes, Mr. Martin. You've always been abnormal."

He laughed and started walking to the park since it was just right there, "Should I be glad that you noticed?"

"You should be very glad," she smirked and reached up to pinch his cheek.

He rubbed his cheek and continued walking, "What do you want to do today?"

"Are you telling me that _Cody_ isn't prepared?"

"Yes, I wasn't sure on what you wanted to do."

Maddie smiled and shrugged her shoulders, "I heard that they opened a new Tipton hotel in New York."

Cody laughed and looked at her, "Are you serious?"

"Never been more serious in my entire life," she said although she_ had_ been more serious before.

"So, what was the point in you telling me this shocking news?" he joked.

"Lets go see it! It's like a stroll down memory lane."

"Alright, lead the way," Cody said with a smile and was glad that it wasn't in anyway awkward between them.

The walk to the new Tipton wasn't exactly easy. In fact, Maddie didn't realize that the new hotel was a bit more than two miles from the park. Considering that Cody's usual walk to his work was only half of a mile, this new path was a bit tiring.

"You're looking a bit exhausted, Mr. Martin," she smirked, apparently liking to call him Mr. Martin.

"As are you, Ms … Are you still Ms. Fitzpatrick?" he asked with a tilt of his head.

Maddie laughed and held up her left hand up to him that had no ring on it, "Sadly, yes."

"I wouldn't think of it as so sad."

She raised an eyebrow, "Really? And why is that?"

Cody coughed and regained his composure, "You know, because … 'Cause if you did get married, your husband probably wouldn't let you get out into the city with me."

She smiled as if she were satisfied with his reply, "Yes, you bring up a good point."

"Of course, I did. I'm the nerd, remember? I'm Cody, not Zack."

"Well, its not like you were one person to begin with," she said amusedly.

(Flashback)  
_Cody was stepping out of the elevator and into the lobby of the Tipton Hotel and overheard Zack and Maddie arguing._

"_Zack, I can't just not go to college," Maddie said._

_Zack shook his head, "No, but I need you here."_

"_No, you don't. You've got everyone else here."_

"_But I love you," Zack blurted out to her._

_Maddie stood there and shook her head, "Zack… I can't love you."_

"_Why not?" he demanded an answer._

"_Because, you're like a little brother to me."_

"_And Cody? What about Cody?" he said and pointed to his brother, finally acknowledging his presence._

"_Are you guys one person? … Look, Zack, I've got to go finish packing," Maddie looked at both of them and left the Tipton Hotel for the last time._

_After that conversation, Zack and Cody's relationship was always different than before.  
_(End Flashback)

"Exactly," he said with a laugh.

She pointed at one of the rather large buildings and smiled, "Look! There it is."

"Looks kind of like the one back home, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does," she grabbed his hand, picking up her pace to get there faster.

Cody chuckled and jogged to keep up with Maddie. It was like they were kids again and that simple idea made him smile. Once they entered the hotel, they both gasped.

Cody let out an exhausted sigh, "It looks _exactly_ like the one at home."

They both stood there in awe of how beautiful the NY parallel was as millions of memories rushed into both of their minds that they tried to forget over the years.

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So? How'd you like this chapter? Don't forget to review because if you don't review ... I probably won't update because what's the point if no one likes it? Hahaha. Yeah. 

- Lina.


	4. By Your Charm

Newwwww chapter! Yay. Hope you guys like it. Thanks to all of you who reviewed last chapter. Its great to know you enjoy reading this. x

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Suite Life characters._

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**By Your Charm**

The new Tipton was beautiful. Cody and Maddie looked around the lobby with an expression of a mix between shock and amusement. Maddie gasped again and let go of his hand. Cody followed her to wherever she was walking although he had to admit that his hand felt a bit … lonely.

(Flashback)  
_A couple of days after Maddie's seventeenth birthday, Cody found her sitting outside of the Tipton with a depressed look._

"_Maddie, are you alright?" the thirteen-year-old asked._

_She kept her gaze on a piece of gum on the sidewalk and replied in a fake sugarcoated voice, "Yes of course! Of course, I'm fine."_

"…_You don't seem fine."_

"_Have you ever wanted someone so bad and once they were yours, you found out they only did it for pity?" she suddenly asked, looking at him with watery eyes._

_Cody thought automatically of his first love, Rebecca. She had later wrote to him telling him that he wasn't what he was looking for…that she met a new kid that apparently made her feel more appreciated than he did._

"_I can imagine," Cody managed to say._

_Maddie shook her head, "He told his friends that I wasn't what he was looking for. Is there something wrong with me?"_

"_No!" he said, grabbing her hand out of instinct, "Maddie, if he couldn't see what a beautiful girl you are, inside and out, he's dumb. I can beat him up if you want."_

_She laughed, wiped her tears and pat him lightly on the head, "No, its okay. He's the captain of the wrestling team, but thanks for the offer._

_They suddenly heard Mr. Moesby's voice from inside the hotel, "Where is Madeline? Her shift started five minutes ago!" _

"_I've got to go," she said and finished wiping her tears, "Thanks, Cody."_

"_Anytime."_

_She smiled and went inside the hotel to do her job. Cody kept a slight smile on his face, but it faded when he realized how empty his hand felt._  
(End Flashback)

He didn't realize where they were going since his mind was preoccupied with memories until he heard Maddie say something completely random.

"I'd like a bag of skittles, please," she asked.

Cody gave her a confused look and than looked around to find that they walked to the candy counter.

"Can I have some crispy M&M's?" he asked, embarrassed at his quick slip of confusion.

The girl gave them the candy with a perky smile and they both sat down in the lobby. Maddie's sad smile barely matched the perkiness of the candy counter girl.

"What's wrong?" Cody asked, instinctively sitting closer to her.

"I wonder if she likes being there," Maddie said.

"Did you?"

"I had a pair of twins to keep me company, didn't I?"

"And an heiress."

"And an Esteban."

Cody laughed, "And an Esteban … we were a crazy bunch, weren't we?"

Maddie nodded and finished her skittles," Look at us, ruining our appetite."

"Did you want to eat here?"

"Of course! I didn't walk two miles just for some skittles."

Cody laughed again and helped her off the couch. They walked to the restaurant located in the hotel and requested a table for two. It was only six o'clock, but the walk had taken a lot out of them. He pulled out a chair for her and sat down across the table with a smile. She looked nice.

"Why are you smiling?" she asked suspiciously.

Cody shook his head and stared dumbly at his menu. He felt foolish. He was a grown man unable to compliment a woman without feeling foolish. And to make things worse, this woman was a girl he grew up with. He had to admit that he hadn't felt that way in a long time.

The waiter came and introduced himself in a polite manner and asked if they were ready to order.

"I'll have cordon bleu and a glass of red wine, please," she asked the waiter and glanced at Cody.

"I'll have the sirloin steak and a glass of water," he said and handed his menu up to the man.

Maddie smirked at him.

"What?" he asked her in confusion.

"What a manly choice," she said and kicked his shoe lightly.

Cody laughed at her light tap, "What are we? Twelve?"

(Flashback)  
_Carey decided to take Maddie and London out to dinner with the family for her birthday. Of course, Zack sat next to Maddie, who sat next to London. Cody and Carey sat across from them. Cody sat there humming when he accidentally kicked Maddie under the table, stopping his humming immediately. Maddie looked across the table at him._

"_Sorry," he said sheepishly._

_Maddie smiled at him and somewhat tapped her foot lightly at the side of his shoe, "No, its fine."_

_Zack looked aggravated and said aloud, "Can we stop playing footsie and order our food?"_

_Carey and London looked at Zack in confusion while Cody and Maddie made eye contact, smiling at each other before looking back at their menus._  
(End Flashback)

"No, we're not twelve … but I wish we were," Maddie said, looking around.

He smiled at her and nodded a polite 'thank you' to the waiter who brought them their dinner. She smiled back and then began to eat her food. He watched her for a second as she cut out a bite-sized piece and put it into her mouth with a satisfied expression left along her lips. It was then that he realized he was staring at her and he began cutting his own food. They were hungry enough to stay quiet for the first few minutes and savor the food they ate. After all, the food was expensive and what was the point if they didn't savor it? The conversation was light as they finished their food, leaving them stuffed and happy.

"That was delicious," Maddie said, folding her napkin back on the table.

Cody nodded, "Of course it was. It's the Tipton."

They both laughed and walked out of the restaurant after Cody paid for their food. They stood in the lobby for a few seconds, since neither of them knew what to do next. He looked out of the glass doors and saw that it was dark outside already.

"What do you want to do next?" he asked her.

She looked at him and shrugged her shoulders in an adorable manner, "Not sure."

"Should we call it a night and walk home now?" he asked.

Maddie looked around the Tipton and shrugged once again, "Alright… It'll take a while, though."

"I know," he said as he subconsciously gave her one of his heart-melting smiles.

They walked out of the Tipton Hotel and both of them shivered from the sudden burst of cold wind.

"Is it supposed to rain again tonight?" he asked her, trying not to smile at how fast her nose turned pink.

Maddie shrugged, "Probably. Lets walk and try to catch a cab then. It'll be impossible over here by the hotel."

The two of them set off onto the sidewalk, walking casually side by side. The wind continued to blow as they both shivered continuously. Unsure of what to do, Cody took his chances and put his arm around her shoulder in an attempt to keep her warm … And an attempt to, well, have his arm around her. She smiled at him and somewhat leaned into him. He figured that their closeness was only because of the weather … But that only made him wish that the weather was always like this when she was with him.

"Maybe we should call a cab," Maddie suggested, looking up at him.

He shrugged and didn't resent that idea because of how windy it was, "I think we should, too."

He called a cab and opened the door for her. Once they were both in, she sat close to him and he wanted to put his arm around her again but didn't have the excuse of the weather. However, when the cab driver made a sharp turn, she slid closer and he moved his arm around her and tapped her shoulder lightly.

"Whoa there," he said with a laugh.

"Sorry!" Maddie said and covered her face in embarrassment.

Cody laughed at her and moved her hands down, "For what? Sliding?"

"Mhmm," she nodded her head.

He laughed again and moved around so that she could easily lean against him, "Don't be."

They stayed in that position until they got to her apartment where he decided that he would just walk to his flat after walking Maddie to her room.

"I had a great time," she said, looking for her keys.

"Same here," Cody replied with a smile.

Once she found them, she opened her door and looked back at him, "We should do this again."

"What do you say about next Saturday?"

"I say it sounds like a plan."

"Alright, then I'll see you then. G'night," he told her and waved, sticking his hands into his pockets as he began walking home.

A feeling of giddiness struck Cody as he walked home and he couldn't help but smile. It had been a while since he felt this way. It had been a long while.

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Soooo? Review & tell me what you think. New chapter will probably next weekend since school is pretty hectic. 

- Lina.


	5. Guilt Trips

Hello, all! I apologize deeply for not updating in the last lifetime. To be honest, I just sort of lost interest in writing this fanfiction for a long time. I had forgotten where I wanted it to go and just lost interest in writing any fanfiction whatsoever (my Life with Derek fanfiction is long overdue as well). However, here's an update to fill in the gap between the previous date and the big surprise! … Okay, it's not that big, but enjoy it!  I want to thank all of you who actually inspired me to write again. :D

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the people, places, or things from The Suite Life of Zack and Cody._

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Cody had gone through the entire week thinking about his scheduled date with Maddie and spent most of his time replaying certain moments of their previous date. The dinner, the hand holding, the carbide back. All of it was still engraved in his memory and he hoped it was okay to consider both the previous and planned meetings as "dates". I mean, they were alone together eating dinner and making occasional physical contact that sent chills of excitement throughout their bodies. Or at least his. On Wednesday, he was caught dazing into space at work; Cody never did that. The next day, he ran into a guy on the streets because his mind was occupid by a particular blonde. He knew it was insane to be thinking about a girl - or rather woman – so much only after seeing her twice after ten years. 

By the time Friday night rolled around, he was both exhausted from work and excited about the next day. Once he got into his apartment, he took off his coat and headed towards the balcony as per usual. He passed his blinking answering machine and paused for a second, turning back around to check the new message.

Once he pressed the "play" button, a familiar voice came up and said, "Hi, sweetie! It's me, mom!"

(Flashback)

"_Hi, sweetie! It's me, mom!" the answering machine said to a sixteen-year-old Cody, "I took Zack out to practice driving. Don't worry we'll practice tomorrow. In the meantime, Maddie volunteered to babysit for the rest of the afternoon!"_

"_Ugh, mom!" Cody groaned out loud to himself, "I'm sixteen, I don't need a babysitter."_

"_Before you start complaining," the answering machine continue, "I'll just let you know that she really insisted on it. She said something about protecting you from Jaelyn. Okay, love you, bye!"_

_Cody groaned again and slouched down into the couch. Jaelyn was the gorgeous candy counter girl-in-training. She was a year and a half older than Cody and a year and a half younger than Maddie. Although everyone else liked Jaelyn, Maddie was not fond of her but was forced to be nice by Mr. Moesby. Anyone with eyes knew that Jaelyn had a huge crush on Cody. But why would Maddie want to "protect" him from her? It wasn't like Jaelyn was a bad person. _

"_Cody?" Maddie asked from the other side of the door as she knocked lightly._

_Cody got up and opened the door for her and smiled, "Hey, Maddie!"_

"_Hey! I guess it'll just be the two of us tonight," she said and they both continued to smile._

"_Yeah. My mom said something about Jaelyn and you. What was that about?" Cody asked._

_Maddie shrugged her shoulders and sat down on the couch, "Jaelyn offered her time to babysit you after hearing that I used to be your babysitter."_

"_But she's practically my age!"_

"_I know!"_

_Cody paused, "You know that I'm old enough to take care of myself, right?"_

"_Of course I know that. But just because she's going to be the new candy counter girl next semester doesn't mean she's allowed to replace me," Maddie said and pouted._

_Cody smiled in amusement, "Of course not. She'll never replace you. But you do know it's been a couple of years since you last babysat us."_

"_I know. I just wanted make sure she didn't get the position," she replied with a satisfied smile, "And she didn't."_

(End Flashback)

Cody stared at the answering machine playing his mother's voice, "I forgot to tell you that they opened up a new Tipton Hotel in your area and Mr. Tipton requested that Mr. Moesby check it out and that I perform. He said Zack could come along, too. I think our tickets said we would arrive on Saturday at 7:00 PM. Can you pick us up? Call me back, sweetie. Okay, love you, bye!"

Cody smiled after the message finally ended. Apparently, his mom still had a tendency to leave extremely long messages. His smile suddenly faded when it clicked in his mind what his mother just said. She was coming to visit him after seven years and she wasn't going to be alone. His twin brother, Zack, was to go with her. It wasn't that he wasn't excited because he really was. It was just that he had finally learned to separate himself from the protection and sheltering personalities of his family. He learned how create a whole different personality separate from his twin and he also learned how to survive without hiding behind either of them. It was so sudden that they were both going to be back in his life. Not only was Maddie back in his life, but everyone else, too.

Oh shoot. Maddie.

Cody walked anxiously to his balcony for both fresh air and a look at the lights to keep himself calm. He paced back and forth and looked over the ledge. He had forgotten about Maddie, but now that he remembered, he knew what he had to do. He needed to stop any feelings for her immediately. His brother, Zack, was coming to New York and if he found out about their little "date" and the one scheduled for the next day, he wasn't sure what Zack would do. Maddie was Zack's first love and, for all Cody knew, she was his only love. Cody remembered that Zack used to get pretty obsessive when they were younger. Cody always thought it was a crush and often told him that the feelings would blow over, but that never happened. Instead, Zack's feelings just got words.

(Flashback)

"_I'm sorry, Max. I really am," Zack said into his cellphone as Cody walked into the room,"Yeah… I'll see you tomorrow. Bye."_

"_What was that all about?" Cody asked after Zack hung up._

"_I, uh, told Max that I couldn't go to prom with her. I told her I was going stag."_

"_WHAT!" Cody looked at him like he was crazy, "You turned down MAX? Did it just happen to slip your mind that every guy in the senior class wants to date her?"_

"_If you're so hot about her, why don't you go with her?" Zack said gloomily._

"_Because she didn't ask me, she asked you, duh."_

"_Whatever."_

"_Why won't you go with her? And not even as friends…"_

_Zack mumbled something incoherent and all Cody caught was "promise" and "dance"._

_Cody rolled his eyes, "What? I can't hear you."_

"_Maddie promised me she would dance with me at my prom," he said clearly and got up, "Forget it. You don't understand. I mean, how would you? We're not the same person."_

_Zack left the room, leaving Cody confused more than ever. Especially since Zack said the last sentence with an obvious emphasis. It was then that it dawned on him that after three years since Maddie left for college, Zack never got over her and never got over that single fight between them that involved Cody at the end of the conversation._

(End Flashback)

Cody groaned and ran his hand frustratedly though his hair. He took out his cell phone and called Maddie.

"Hello?" Maddie answered her phone.

Cody smiled at the sound of her voice and replied, "Oh hey, Maddie. It's me, Cody."

"Hi, Cody! What's up?"

Cody sighed and replied, "Nothing much except for the part where we can't hang out tomorrow because my family is coming over."

"Really?" Maddie asked excitedly.

'Yeah, remember how we visited the Tipton the other day? Yeah, they're all staying there."

"Wow," Maddie said and then paused, "Oh wait, I remember London telling me that she and Todd were going to visit. I guess they can stay at the Tipton for free."

"You still talk to London?" Cody asked, not really shocked but was still somewhat surprised.

"Of course. We're still really close despite the distance of the ocean."

"That's good," was all Cody could say, "When are London and Todd coming?"

"They're going to Boston first, then they'll be here tomorrow at 7:00 PM."

"I doubt it's a coincidence that my family and London are coming on the same day," Cody said sadly.

"What's wrong? You should be happy. We can go pick them up together," Maddie said in her usual cheerful voice.

(Flashback)

"_Cody, sweetie, can you drive to the grocery store and pick up some fruit juice for my fruit juice cocktail?"_

"_What? Why?" he asked, sitting In the lobby with Zack. Ever since he got his license he's been doing all the driving. If only Zack didn't make that one last mistake during the behind-the-wheel test, Cody wouldn't have so many different responsibilities._

"_I just found out that Mr.Moesby's brother is coming back to visit and we all know how much he loved my fruit cocktail," Carey said with a nod of her head. Mr. Moesby's brother practically hogged all of it._

"_But mom, it's almost 9:30 PM. It's dark! What if someone robs me?" He made up, giving her the puppy dog look he had carried from his elementary days._

_Carey pointed at him, "Don't give me that face, mister."_

_Just then, Maddie chimed in, "I'll go with him, Carey! I have to get fruit for my family anyway and I'll make sure no one robs him."_

_Cody shot Maddie a confused look and Zack suddenly yelled, "I want to go!"_

_Carey shook her head, "No, you need to help me cook!"_

"_I want to help cook!" Cody exclaimed._

"_No, you have your license. You drive. Maddie'll go with you; Hurry up because he comes at 10:30 PM."_

_Zack groaned as Carey dragged him into the elevator._

"_Do you really need five different fruit juices for your family?" Cody asked Maddie._

_She smiled and shook her head, "No, but we can go pick them up together."_

(End Flashback)

"Right, we can pick them up together. How about I pick you up at 6:00 PM so we can hang out before they come?" Cody proposed, knowing that he shouldn't. She agreed and he hung up, feeling hopeful and giddy when it came to Maddie.

All of his giddiness over Maddie seemed to wash almost instantly with guilt for his brother. He remembered that once Zack got off the plane, the first thing he would see of New York would be Cody and Maddie. Together. Oh joy.

* * *

Be sure to review! I'm interested to hear what you all think will happen and how you liked this chapter.  Until the next update (which will be sooner than a couple of months, I promise), have fun! 

- Lina


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